Vehicle body



Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,264

P. E. BRENEMAN VEHICLE BODY Original Filed Sept. 28 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet1 Oct. 9, 1928.

1,687,264 P. E. BRENEMAN VEHICLE BODY 8. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled Sept. 2

Q, far/21,. B/(neman Oct. 9, 1928. 1,687,264

P. E. BRENEMAN VEHICLE BODY Original Filed Sept. 28. 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Vwowtoz far/2 273)? (ma :2

WMW

Oct. 9, 1928 P. E. BRENEMAN VEHICLE BODY Original Filed Sept. 28, 1920 4t t 4 Federated Get. 9, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICEQ PAUL I]. BRENEMAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN,ASSIGNOIR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MURRAY BODY CORPORATION, ACORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

VEHICLE BODY.

Application filed September 23,1929, Serial No, 413 054. I RenewedAugust 7, 1926.

The invention relates to metallic vehicle bodies of that type in whichthe complete body is formed of a plurality of units uarately assembledand subsequently interated with each other. The invention conhcreinafterset forth.

In tee drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through 10 theforward portion of the body;

Figure 2 is a similar view through the rear portion of the body;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the base is a cross-section on linel-l: of

5 is a horizontal section on line Figure 7 is a vertical section on line7-7.

' of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a Vertical sectionon line 88 of Figure 1;

Figure9 is a vertical section on line 99 of Figure 1;

Figure 10 is a horizontal section on line 10 1O of Figure 2; I

Figure 11 is a vertical section on line 1111 of Figure 2;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section similar to a portion ofFigure 2,showing the floor construction Figure 13 is a vertical section 18-13 ofFigure 12;

Figure 14: is a section on line 14.141 of Figure 2;

Figure 15 is a sectional perspective view of a portion of the forwardseat unit;

Figure 16 is a similar view of a portion of the tonneau unit; and

Figure 17 is a similar view of a portion of the cowl unit.

One of the features of my improved body is a construction designed foruse on offset chassis, in which the forward portions of the sills are ina plane at a diiferent elevation from the rear portions thereof,

on line Base unit.

sis s in various features of construction, as

B of the sills.

' i 'for the tonneau seat.

a cross-section shown in Figures 4, 8 9, 11 and 13, therein shown," eachsill has a top portion B which at the forward end a seat for the floorboards, also adepending flange B at the outer edge of said top portionconforming to the longitudinal contour of the body and terminating in aninwardly turned flange 13 At the inner edge of the top portion 13 is adown-turned flange B having at its lower edge an inwardly extendingflange B terminating in an upturned flange B Thus the member isessentially a box girder which imparts sufficient rigidity to the.assembled body to permit of safely, handling the same when detached fromthe chassis. The sills B and B, are cross-connected by cross bars C ofinverted channel section having laterally-ex tending-base flanges C, thelatter being at the level of the top of the flange l3 and besecurcdthereto by an inturned flange 13 The top of each bar .C is substantiallyat the level of the top portion B of the sills and the ends, of the barsC extend through apertures in the flanges B and are spot welded, orotherwise secured, to the under face of the portion B The cross bars Care so located as to register with the heel and toe boards of theforward seat unit and to afford support therefor.

In rear of the cross bars C and C and arranged centrally of the floor ofthe tonneau, is a cross bar D, also preferably formed of invertedchannel cross-section and secured to the upper face of the portions Thiscross bar has foot flanges which form supports for the floor boards inthe tonneau section, these boards being arranged in front and in rear ofthe bar .1). In rear of the cross bar D the sills are curved upward to aplane where the upper faces thereof are at the level of the This seatseat pan for the tonneau seat. pan E is directly attached to the sillsand is provided at its forward edge with a dependportion E, which formsthe heel board Also this depending portion has the forwardly extendingfoot flange E forming a support for the floor board F, which isintermediate this heel board and the cross bar D. G is an anglingportion at the rear of the seat pan which constitutes the rear rail ofthe seat frame for the tonneau seat, and G is an upturned flange at therear of the portion G, forming a retaining shoulder for the seat.

Tom teem emit.

The tonneau unit H is formed with back and side panels suitablyfashioned and having their lower edges provided with inturned flanges Hpassing beneath the inturnec flanges B of the sills. The lower edges ofthe side panels are fashioned and formed with the curvature of the sillsand extend forward of the rear post of the tonneau door opening. Thisrear post I is formed by an angle bar having one flange T extendingparallel to the side panel and another flange I extending parallel tothe inturned flange H of the side panel. There is furt ier provided aninturned flange P, which is return bent at T forming a stop for thedoor, while the projecting part of the return-bent portion forms afinish rail for the upholstery. To strengthen the portion the tonneauadjacent to the base of the post I, there is provided a bracket J,preferably of cast metal, which is of channel form having one edgeattached to the post and the other to the flange H. K is thecomplementary portion of the seat frame, consisting of a cross bar K andend bars I together forming a U-shaped frame. This frame, when thetonneau is attached to the base unit, will be completed by the cross barG, previously described. L is a bracket for the top iron which is formedof pressed sheet metal and extends from'the top of the wheel housing Hto a point adjacent to the top rail of the unit. The bracket L is ofisoseles trapezoidal shape with a correspondingly formed central openingand with turned flanges surrounding this opening and the outer edgeforming a strong and light construction.

Forward seat emit.

The forward seat unit M is formed with a seat back portion l and sides Ma seat frame M attached thereto and supporting members M and Mrespectively constituting a heel board for the front seat and toe boardfor the rear seat. These portions M and M register with the cross bars Cand C of the base unit and oerive their support therefrom. At each sideof this unit are post members N, which are formed of heavy gage pressedsheet-metal. They are also preferably foaned with a flange blconstituting a door stop N, which is return-bent to form a retainer fora nailing strip N for the upholstery. The posts N are not diectlyattached to the sills, but are secured to finish members 0 slidablyengaging the sills and extending between the tonneau unit and the cowlunit. For attaching the upholstery to the seat back there is provided arail P of Z-section, one portion of which is at tached to an inturnedflange It while another portion forms a rabbet for receiving the woodstrip P.

Uowl emit.

The cowl unit Q is formed with sides Q, a top Q and dash Q The sides arereinforced by post members R, which are of channel section but areoffset at R to form a stop for the front door. These posts are securedat their lower ends to a member S, which forms an interior'iinish and asupport for the inclined toe board. This member is of pressed sheetmetal suitably fashioned to form a rabbet for receiving the floor board,

and the inclined toe board, together with a portion extendingsubstantially flush with the upper faces of said boards and conformingat its outer edge with the contour of the body. Thus the fioor and toeboards may have square ends and will be completed by the member S.

For strengthening this cowl unit and for also forming a hinge housing,windshield support, and a brace, T have provided a bracket member T,preferably of cast metal, which at its rear end is formed with a re cessT, constituting the hinge housing and secured to the post member R. Fromthis point the bracket extends forward to the dash to which it isattached and intermediate the dash and the post is a socket T forsupporting the windshield.

/V hat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a metallic body for vehicles, a base section, comprising sidesills fashioned to lie in contact with the sills of the chassis andhaving their rear portions in a higher plane than the forward portionswith incllned portions connecting the same, across member arranged abovethe forward lower plane portions of the sills adjacentto the inclinedportions thereof and forming a part of the floor, a tonncau seat panresting directly on the rear portions of said sills and having adepending heel board portion and a floor board arranged between saidsills and between said heel board and cross member to lie flush with thelatter.

in a metallic body' for vehicles, a base section, comprising side sillsfashioned to lie in contact with the sills of the chassis and havingforward and rear portions in different planes connected by intermediateinclined portions, a seat pan extending across and supported directlyupon the rear por tions of said sills, a heel board depending from saidseat board and having a flange forming a support for a floor board, anda cross member secured above the forward lower plane portions of thesills constituting a portion of the floor and having a flangecooperating with the ilange on said heelboard for supporting a floorboard extending there between flush with the upper face of said crossmember.

3. Ina metallic body for vehicles, a base section, comprising side sillshaving their inner edges substantially parallel and their outer edgesconforming to the contour of the body,.said sills having rear portionsin a higher plane than the forward portions thereof and connected byintermediate inclinedportions, a tonneau section mounted on the rear ofsaid base section, and a seat frame having the rear bar thereof mountedon said base section and the side and'forward bars mounted on saidtonneau section.

4. In a metallic body for vehicles, a, base section having side sillswith rear portions thereof in a higher plane than the forward portionsand connected by intermediate in-v clined portions, a metallic sheetextending across the rear portions of said sills, form ing a seat panand having at its forward edge a depending portion constitutinga heelboard and adjacent to its rear edge a portion forming the roar rail ofthe seat frame, a

tonneau section for mounting on said base section, and frontand sidebars of the tonneau seat mounted on said tonneau section andcomplementary to the rear seat rail mounted on said base section.

. 5. In a metallic body for vehicles, a base section having side sillswith the rear portions thereof in a higher plane than the forwardportions and connected by intermediate inclined portions, a tonneausection mounted on said base section and extending over the rear upperplane portions of the sills and the inclined portions thereof and havinga post, and a reinforcing bracket for the portion of said tonneau lyingadjacent to the inclined portions of one of said sills, engaging betweensaid inclined portion and said post.

6. In a metallic vehicleibody, the combination with a light gagemetallic sheet forming the body portion adjacent to a door opening, of areinforcing door post formed of heavy gaged pressed sheet metal, saidpost having a Z-section with a portion lying adjacent to the outerpanel, a portion parallel to the door opening, and a portionconstituting a door stop, the latter portion being return-bent to form adouble ply.

7. In a metallic body for vehicles, the combination with a light gagedmetallic sheet forming a portion of the body adjacent to a door opening,of reinforcing posttherefor comprising a heavy gage pressed sheetmetalmember having a Z cross-section with a portion lying adjacent to theouter panel of the body, a portion parallel to the door opening, and aportion projecting into the door-opening to forma stop for the door, thelatter portion being return-bent and projecting inward to form a channelfor securing the upholstery.

8. In a metallic body for vehicles, the combination with a light gagedmetallic for vehicles, the

said opening, of a sill memberand a heavy gage metallic post secured toand reinforcing said body-panel and connected to said sill through saidthreshold portion.

10. Ina metallic body for vehicles, a cowl portion having a dash at itsforward end, a post on said cowl portion adjacent to the forward dooropening, and a bracket extending between said post and dash andconstituting a .support for the windshield;

11. In a metallic body'for vehicles, a cowl portion having an outersheet-metal panel, a post forreinforcing saidpanel adjacent to the dooropening, and a bracket secured to said post forming the hinge housingtherefor and constituting a support for the windshield.

12. In a metallic body for vehicles, a windshield supporting bracket, adoor post to which said bracket is secured, and a hinge housing formedin said bracket.

13. In a metallic body for vehicles, a cowl section having a dash at theforward end thereof and side panels extending to the door opening, apost for reinforcing the door opening, and a bracket extending betweensaid post and the dash, providing at an intermediate pointa support forthe windshield. I

14. In a metallic body for vehicles, a cowl section having an outerpanel extending from the dash to the forward door opening, a reinforcingpost for the door opening of channel cross-section with the opening inthe channel facing towards the dash, and a bracket extending from withinsaid channel post to the dash, being provided with a portion forming thehinge housing and also constituting a support for the windshield.

' 15. In a metallic body for vehicles, a cowl section having an outersheet metal panel, a post for reinforcing said panel adjacent to thedoor opening, and an inner member having integral portions respectivelyforming a base for said post and aseat for the inclined toe board.

' 16. In a metallic body for vehicles, a base section comprising sidesills, having rear portions in a higher plane than the forward portions,a tonneau section assembled in dependently of said base section andadapted to be mounted upon the rear portion of said base. section, and aseat frame comprising complementary portions respectively carried saidbase frame and tonneau frame.

17. A sill for vehicle bodies including an inverted channel-shapedmember, the outer wall of the channel having an inturned flange, and the.inner Wall of the channel having a lateral flange terminating in anupturned flange.

18. In a base unit for vehicle bodies, a sill including an invertedchannel-shaped member, and a cross member extending through the innerwall of the channel and secured to the top of the channel.

19. In a vehicle body, the combination with a sheet metal panelconstituting a portion of the exterior finish of the body, of achannel-shaped pillar having one side wall thereof secured to saidpanel, the other side wall of said pillar having a return-bent flangeconstituting a door stop and projecting inwardly beyond the adjacentwall of the channel pillar to form a retainer for a nailing strip forupholstering.

20. A cowl unit for vehicle bodies comprising an inverted U-shapedpanel, a dash said toe board, and reinforcing means for said cowl panelincluding posts secured at their lower ends to the member aforesaid.

21. In a vehicle body, a base section in cluding side sills having theirforward and rear portions in difierent planes with an intermediateinclined portion, and a floor board disposed in the horizontal plane ofthe forward portions of said sills and en tending transversely of thebase section at a point between the inclined portions of said sills, therear portions of said sills being of sufficient length and constructedto support a seat pan, and a seat pan secured upon said rear portionsand provided at its forward edge with a depending portion constituting aheel board, said depending portion having'a forwardly extending flangeforming a support for the floor board aforesa1d. I

In testimony whereof I afnX my signature.

PAUL E. BRENEMAN.

